Fire-ladder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. GATHRIGHT. I FIRE LADDER. No. 440,026. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

%W .ziiiarney (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B. GATHRIGHT.

FIRE LADDER.

No. 440,026. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT FricE.

JOSIAH B. GATIIRIGHT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

FIRE-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,026, dated November 4, 1890.

Application filed May 4:, 1889. Serial No. 309,553. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH B. GATHRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Ladders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to that class of fireladders which are mounted on trucks for transportation; and its object is, first, to pro- Vide mechanical means whereby a series of telescoping pipes may first be raised from the truck to the angle of elevation desired and then be extended to their full height by the action of water supplied by a fire-engine, a hydrant, or other source which would be adequate to throw water upon a fire in that cality; second, to provide means wherebya series of ladders may be raised by and supported upon the said telescoping pipes; third, to provide means whereby the pipes and the ladders held thereon will be automatically stiffened and strengthened when extended, and other minor objects, which will more fully appear in the following description.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a fire-ladder, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a side view of my ladder raised and fully extended, a portion of the truck be ing broken away. Fig. II represents a central vertical section of the same on a larger scale, taken at the time when the ladders have been raised to a standing position but not extended. Fig. III represents a cross-section midway of Fig. II, and showing some portions which are located above the plane of section and some below it. Fig. IV is a plan view of the whole device, excepting the truck-wheels, showing the ladders retracted or closed for transportation. Fig. V is a plan view of a modification of a portion of the same on a smaller scale, showing the ladders extended. Fig. VI is a detail View of parts cor respondingly numbered but shown in different positions in Fig. II.

pipe 8.

7 represents the truck, consisting of any suitable frame mounted on wheels.

8 9 10 represent pairs of pipes fitted to telescope, the latter into the former.

11 is a cross-pipe, preferably curved, as shown, joining the upper ends of the two pipes 10. r

l2is acylindrical drum, to one side of which the pipes 8 are attached.

13 is a tank connected with the drum 12 by pipes 14.

15 represents a pair of trunnions projecting from the ends of the drum 12 and journaled in the frame of the truck.

16 is the first section of the ladder, comprising the usual side bars and rungs. This section may be rigidly secured to the first section of pipes8 in any desired manner-as, for example, by being attached at its lower end to the flange 17 and hung at its upper end upon a rung 18, which is fixed to the upper flange of each pipe 8.

19 is the middle section of the ladder, and is freely hung to the pipes 9 by means of the rung 20, which is secured to the upper flanges of those pipes.

21 is the upper section of the ladder. It is similarly hung to the pipes 10 by means of a rung 22. l

24 represents notches in the side bars of ladder 19, adapted to engage the rung 18 when the ladder is extended, thereby bracing V the ladders against accidental collapse endwise. Vhile being extended the side bars of each upper ladder drag their length upon the rungs of the ladder beneath, and when the notch 2a or 25 arrives at the last rung it will drop over the same and engage it, as shown in detail in Fig. VI.

25 represents similar notches in the ladder 21, adapted to engage the rung 20 for a similar purpose.

26 is a king-post rigidly fixed to the upper flange of each pipe 8, and 27 is a tension-rod permanently connecting the outer end of the king-post with the lower flange of the same 29 is a similar king-post, but it is preferably hinged to the upper flange of the pipe 9, and the tension-rod 30 is fitted to slide freely through its outer end until it reaches the head 31, which will hold against the upper side of the post. The lower end of the rod 30 is provided with a loop 32, to slide freely upon the rod 27. p

33 is the upper tension-rod. It is hinged to the upper flange of the pipe 10, and is provided with a loop 34 at its lower end to slide freely upon the rod 30. The tension-rods 27, 30, and 33 are adjusted in length so as to be drawn taut when the pipes are extended. The post 29 maybe rigidly fixed like post 26, but it is preferably hinged in order that it may yield to the act1on of that rod which is first to become taut, thus preventing the weight of the outer ends of the pipes from resting sidewise against the king-posts. When the whole ladder is extended, the three tension-rods act as one, to bear only endwise upon the king-posts, the p voted post having adapted itself to the tension-rods. The king-post 26 is bifurcated to permit the rods 30 and 33 to pass through it and the post 29 to swing freely through it when the ladder is sliding down, and the said post 29 is also bifurcated to permit the rod 33 to pass through it.

The whole ladder is a truss, in which the pipes 8, 9, and 10,'when extended, form the beam. The sliding tension -rods, the telescoping pipes, and the king-posts attached to the respective pipes form an extensible truss.

' 35 represents a hose-pipe, by means of which water may be directed upon the fire. There may be any number of connections for such pipes with the upper pipe of the ladder. Three such are herein shown.

36 is a relief-cock provided with an arm, which is connected with the lower section of the ladder by a cord 37.

38 represents one or more hose-pipes adapt-- ed to connect the tank 13 with a fire-engine, a hydrant, or other source of water-supply under pressure. Dotted lines 43 represent check-valves in the interior of the tank 13 to prevent the return of the water from the tank 13 into the supply-pipes 38, thereby preventing the water from returning from theladderpipes when the engine is not at work, thus avoiding loss of time in raising the water again, and also holding the ladder extended.

44 represents a latch hung upon one of the upper two ladders 19 or 21, and adapted to engage with the other. In the present case the latch is pivoted upon a rung of ladder 19 and engages the notch 25 in the ladder 21 to hold the two connected, so that they may be raised together, thus utilizing the force of greater pressure which water has on a lower level to do the greater part of the Work. When the two ladders are raised nearly to the limit in height of the ladder 19, the latch 44 will meet a knob 45, fixed on some portion or attachment of the permanent section 8, and be thereby disengaged from the other ladder, thus setting the upper ladder 21 free to be raised to its limit by the water-pressure within.

39 represents a discharge-cock.

In operation, the'water being let into the tank 13 will gradually accumulate therein until its weight slowly overbalances the weight of the ladders, and they will be steadily raised to the position shown in Fig. 2. Soon the water fills the tank and then rises until the pipes are full, when the continuing pressure extends the pipes until their full height is reached. Then the tension-rods and kingposts'are all drawn taut, and the notches 24 25 in the ladders proper having engaged the rungs 18 20, the whole structure becomes stilt, like a single-span bridge.

The length of the cord 37 is so adjusted that when the limit of extension is being reached it pulls the arm of relief-valve 3b and opens it just in time to permit the water to escape, so as to avoid the shock which the sudden stopping of the extending ladder would otherwise cause to endanger the hose.

40, 41, and 42 represent the three arms of a knuckle-joint brace, pivoted at 46 to the side of the pipe 8 and at 47 to the truckframe, and all pivoted together at 49.

48 represents a toothed rack fixed upon the truck to steady the lower end of arm 42, which serves as a brace to the arms 40 and 41 to push them toward a straight-line position, whereby all three act to brace the ladder in any position where it may be stopped. A series of holes are shown in the arm 41, adapted to engage the pivotal stud or bolt 47, whereby the angle of elevation of the ladder may be limited, as desired.

When service is completed and it is desired to close the ladder, the water-pressure through the hose 38 is to be shut ofi and the cock 39 is to be opened. Then the extended sections of the ladder and pipes will slowly descend as their weight presses the water out at the said cook 39. After the ladders are closed the water, continuing to discharge, will soon relieve the tank of its weight-,and then the ladders will steadily swing down to their reclining position, as shown in full in Fig IV and in dotted lines in Fig. I. When the ladder is closing or closed, the slack of the cord 37 may be wound upon any suitable winch 58.

The modification shown in 'Fig. V shows a single line of telescoping pipes operating in all respects on the principle hereinbefore described, the only material difference being one of construction, involving the widening of the pipe flanges or extensions thereof to serve as points of attachment for the ladders,

so that they may pass over the pipes, and for the tension-rods, so that they may pass beside the ladders, out of the way of persons ascending or descending on the ladders, and so that the said rods may serve like stairrailings to aid the person and to add to his security against falling or being shaken sidewise from the ladder.

For the purpose of this invention metallic pipes which are thick enough to stand the water-pressure will be strong enough to meet all other strains consequent to the service described, and such a ladder will be verylight, in-

volviu g no cumbersome or expensive machinery to operate it. It will answer every purpose of a fire-escape ladder for buildings of any height accessible to water-pressure and for a stand pipe and ladder for firemen to force water through and to ascend upon. The water used as a balancing-weight being permitted to escape, no useless weight need be trucked about, and the cost and labor of operating the ladder are nothing.

Other equivalent devices may be substituted for the notches 24 25 in the ladders proper to hold the pipes extended, or the pressure of Water may be trusted to perform that duty alone, the check-valves 43 preventing the water from escaping. The drum 12 may be dispensed with, and the trunnions 15 may be fixed to project from any other suitable portion, such as the edge of the tank 13 or the sides of the pipes 8. It would also be possible to construct a series of telescoping pipes to answer the purpose here set forth without the aid of the tension-rods and kingposts; but by their aid I make an equally Stiff and strong ladder with much less weight and cost of material. It is possible that the hose-pipe35 might be directed from the ground by the aid of ropes and pulleys or otherwise, so that the stand-pipe of the ladder would be of value with its balancing and raising equipment without the ladders attached. The safety-cock 36 may be located at any other suitable point-such, for example, as on the tank 13 or drum'12and it may be adapted to be opened like a steam-engine safety-valve whenever the water-pressure is such as'to endanger the hose, thus freeing the severe tension, which is only temporary.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following;

1. The combination of a series of waterpipes fitted to telescope together, a water-tank secured to the lower pipe, and pivotalbearings supporting the pipes and tank, the said tank being provided with means for attaching to it a supply-pipe, the said telescoping pipes being provided With a relief-cock and means for attaching a discharge-pipe to the upper one thereof, there being a free and unobstructed passage from the said supply-pipe through the said tank and telescoping pipes to the said relief-cock, whereby water admitted to the said tank will first balance the telescoping pipes from a horizontal to a standing position and then extend them at one continuous and uninterrupted flow.

2. The combination of a series of waterconduct-ing pipes fitted to telescope together, ladders in sections supported upon the respective sections of pipe, a tank secured to the lower section of pipe and having means for the attachment of a supply-pipe, there being an unobstructed passage from said supply-pipe through the tank and teleszoping pipes, and trunnions pivotally supporting the pipes, ladders, and tank, whereby the ladders riesof telescoping pipes 8, 9, and 10 and cross-pipes 11 and 12, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of pipes 8, 9, and 10, cross-pipes 11 and 12, respectively provided with suitable attachments for discharging and receiving water, and a series of ladders 16, 19, and 21, supported and carried by the series of pipes, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of a series of te1escop-.

ing stand-pipes S, 9, and 10, a series of rungs 18, 20, and 22, attached to their respective caps in different planes, and a series of ladders suspended from said rungs and overlapping one upon another, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination, with a telescoping ladder, of a series of king-posts 26 and 29 and tension-rods 27, 30, and 33, forminga combined truss and railing, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of a series of telescoping water-pipes, a king-post fixed to the upper end of the lower pipe, a tension-rod permanently connecting the outer end of the said king-post with a lower portion or fixture of the said lower pipe, another king-post pivoted to the upper end of a midway pipe, the two said king-posts being preferably bifurcated, a tension-rod secured to slide freely in the outer end of the said pivoted king-post and having a loop in its lower end adapted to engage the first-named tension-rod, and another tension-rod connected with the upper end of the upper pipe and having a loop at its lower end to engage the second-named tension-rod, substantially as shown and described.

9. The combination of a series of telescoping pipes,a king-post secured to one of them, a tension-rod secured to the said post, other tension-rods fitted to slide freely one upon another, and another king-post connected with a movable section of the pipe and connected with the tension-rods, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination of aseries of telescoping water-pipes adapted to be extended by water-pressure, and a relief-cock, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination of a series of telescoping water-pipes adapted to be extended by water-pressure, a relief-cock attached to one of the pipes and provided with a lever-arm,

gether, and a knob upon the fixture from which the ladders are extended adapted to engage the said latch to disengage the said two ladders, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH B. GATl-IRIGHT. Witnesses:

J. D. COX, JOHN SCHANG. 

